Having cried until his chest ached and his tears ran dry, Cheon Areum awkwardly lifted his head from Yoon Seoyul’s chest. The front of his shirt was damp—soaked with tears and streaks of blood-tinged snot. Yoon Seoyul cupped Cheon Areum’s face with one hand, wiping his tear-streaked cheeks gently with the back of his other. His voice was tender, almost coaxing, as he spoke.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Hm."
He nodded slowly, tiny hiccups escaping between each breath. Unbeknownst to him, his energy had already stabilized while he was busy drowning in tears. Only now did he come to a bittersweet realization—he was far more of a crybaby than he’d ever thought. And in Yoon Seoyul’s eyes... he must have already cried a dozen times, each for a different reason.
"That was because of you... your energy—"
"I know. I’m sorry."
Not even giving him the chance to push the blame onto him, Yoon Seoyul confessed with zero hesitation. Gently brushing back the disheveled strands of hair falling to Cheon Areum’s forehead, he leaned in and pressed a delicate kiss there, trying to soothe him.
"Do you always feel this sad?"
"Not always."
His gaze lingered on Yoon Seoyul’s face, unfocused, as if caught in a trance. He felt a sudden urge to kiss him on the lips. His eyes briefly dipped down, tracing the curve of Yoon Seoyul’s mouth. But before he could act on impulse, he tore his gaze away, getting up from his lap and quietly moving to the seat beside him instead. He rubbed his forehead sheepishly.
*
"Hyung!"
Running right into his embrace, Rian slightly pulled away, observing him as he spoke while tilting his head.
"You cried again?"
"Yeah..."
Cheon Areum laughed, getting embarrassed thinking about it. However, Rian didn’t ask more questions. Taking off his backpack, he handed it to Yoon Seoyul.
"You carry it."
Which he took wordlessly. With his small hand wrapped tightly around Cheon Areum’s, Rian walked ahead—backwards—his steps a little clumsy as he kept his eyes on his older brother instead of the path. His cheeks were somewhat puffed as he smiled and his eyes sparkled with curiosity. He seemed to be in a good mood.
"Hyung, can we eat dinner outside today?"
"Sure, why not?"
Nodding, Cheon Areum checked to see if the path was clear, making sure there was nothing that would trip or hurt Rian. That’s when Rian stopped and grabbed Yoon Seoyul’s hand with his other free one. With a bright grin, he tugged him forward, pulling both of them along together.
*
Since his wonderful plan had backfired and shown him the road to death, he had no choice but to clear the gates the traditional way. Last night, the internet had crashed over him closing a gate with his skill, but more than that, the fact that he was rumored to be dating The Yoon Seoyul had sent his popularity skyrocketing—either to the same level or even higher. With that kind of popularity, it was hard for him to stay anonymous anymore. With his face revealed, everything about him—down to his underwear brand—was just one search away.
Fetching a taxi to the location Yoon Seoyul had sent him, he tried calling him again, but still couldn’t reach him. That meant he was still in another gate. Yoon Seoyul was admirable—clearing three S-Class gates a day, earning what Cheon Areum had earned for closing a gate by himself every day. That kind of stamina was on a whole other level. Cheon Areum hadn’t even tried, knowing he’d end up losing control by the second gate. It was better than going insane and accidentally killing someone. For now, clearing one S-Class gate a day was more than enough. That way, he’d also have time to spend with Rian by the end of it.
After the last accident, Cheon Areum had doubts that anyone from the same guild—where almost everyone knew what had happened—would willingly join him for the gate. But the three other guild members who signed up were all familiar faces.
"You both still think you want to enter another gate with me?"
Eyeing Inho and Hwan, he looked behind at the location where the gate had appeared—a graveyard that brought back not-so-distant memories.
"It’s not like you’ll go into heat again. Also, you’re strong. I’d rather go with a high-class hunter who’ll protect me."
Inho shrugged, as if it were obvious why he had chosen to go with him.
"I’d be happy to help. I carry omega suppressors too now."
Hwan smiled, tilting his body to the side. He couldn’t tell if it was a genuine smile or a mocking one.
Standing a few steps away from the gate, he called Yoon Seoyul again just as Aera—the last member—arrived on a heavy bike, parking outside the graveyard entrance and wearing her usual black attire for dungeon raids. He had never realized that the area around an S-Class gate was sealed off, only allowing registered hunters entry. The last few times, he’d come with Yoon Seoyul, who would just drive in, ignoring the entry procedure. Maybe they just recognized him from the car. Who truly knew?
"Is this the infamous purple suit?"
Walking straight up to him, Aera gazed at him satisfyingly with her fingers under her chin. When he had asked Rian to pick a suit for him, the kid had insisted on this one.
"My mother designed it. Doesn’t it suit me?"
"It almost makes me want to steal you from Yoon Seoyul."
She concluded, stepping closer to him.
"Keep your mouth closed when Master is here if you don’t want to get fired,"
Inho suggested, standing behind her, to which Hwan gave a surprised expression.
"Yoon Seoyul? He can do whatever he wants, I don’t care about that, but..."
Aera, vexed at him calling Yoon Seoyul continuously, glared disapprovingly.
"You don’t have to keep calling him. He’ll be here on time. It’s like you can’t stay away from him for even a second. How annoying.